Let Love Go?
by Writtenwoes
Summary: Millie notices that she does have feelings for Rico, but what will happen when she asks for Anna's help? And what will Anna tell her? Will Millie let her feelings go? Kowalski/Anna Millie/Rico
1. Chapter 1

I don't own anything about this story except for my OC's. Please read and rate though; I need an idea on how well I did. Thanks!

"Training time, boys." Skipper announced one sunny morning, in the H.Q.

Kowalski, Rico, Anna, Millie, and Private turned away from the T.V., where they were watching High School Musical for the thirty-billionth time. It was a wonderful Sunday morning, and they had been enjoying some cartoons when the beginning of the famous movie had come on.

"But, Skippa, it's Sunday," Private said, pleading. "Can't we watch our show for a bit longer?"

"I'm afraid that's a no-can-do, Private." Skipper said, leaping out the door, and peeking his head back in to call out; "Well come on, boys! Troy Bolton isn't going to train you."

Disappointed, the boys slunk out the fishbowl. Outside, the world was warm and bright, and Skipper was waiting for them on the opposite side of the rock pad, with his arms crossed.

"Well, finally!" Skipper said, starting to work on his warm ups. "Let's get started! And one, two, three, four…" he drilled endlessly.

A few minutes later, Anna and Millie came upstairs as well.

"Yo," Millie signaled the peace sign, diving into the water.

Anna watched her swim down to the bottom, and turned back to the bemused group of male penguins staring at her. "Well, um, we were wondering if we could swim out here…? Or would that bother you guys?"

Skipper sighed, rolling his eyes. "Fine, Anna. You can swim. Just try to keep it down, ok?"

"No problem," Anna smiled, taking a headfirst dive into the water. She was so streamlined she barely made a splash, and then she swam back behind them to where Millie was floating around.

Kowalski couldn't help but grin. They were still dating even another year after Anna had been so sick. He was glad she was strong enough to swim; she hadn't been at the start of the summer.

Anna ducked beneath the surface, twirling in endless circles underwater. She seemed so graceful; her eyes squeezed shut, bubbles escaping from between her beak, her body swirling in her almost zero-gravity surroundings…

"Kowalski!" Skipper slapped him.

"Wha-what?" Kowalski said, realizing with a jolt that he hadn't been paying attention at all since Anna had come outside.

"Can you handle your lady-friend being outside while we train, or do we need to ask her to kindly go back inside?" Skipper asked, stepping between Anna and Kowalski's view of her. He had to keep his options guy on track nowadays; with Anna around, Kowalski had a hard time focusing on his work.

"N-no, I'm fine, Skipper. It…won't happen again." Kowalski looked down at the ground, a little embarrassed to have been caught unawares. _Focus, Kowalski. _He told himself, starting to stretch again. _Maybe if Anna sees you training amazingly, she'll be impressed. _

Skipper started pacing up and down in front of his soldiers, and froze. What in the name of sweet potato salad was Rico doing? His weapons expert was staring much like Kowalski had been, except his eyes were following Anna's twin sister.

"Rico! Snap out of it, man!" Skipper said, waving his flippers in front of the guys face.

Rico, groaning a little, turned to face Skipper. "Wha?" He asked, his eyes uncrossing as he saw the look on Skipper's face. "Wha'd I do?"

"Seriously, men!" Skipper berated, walking out to the middle of the platform, waving his arms for emphasis. After checking to make sure that Anna and Millie were underwater, he started his mornings tirade. "Please tell me that it takes more than two females to distract you guys!"

Kowalski and Rico felt ashamed. "No, Skipper." They said simultaneously, looking down at the ground.

Private was confused. "What do you mean, Skippa?"

"Never you mind, Private. You'll understand when you get older." Skipper said, eyeing the two older of his army. "Now let's get chopping!"

Beneath the crystalline water, Anna and Millie faced each other, blinking their eyes almost continuously in the wet environment. Sometimes, the twin pair had wondered if they could hear each others thoughts. As young children, they had often had rare moments of concise synchronization.

Anna had come up with the idea of testing the theory once and for all under water, where they couldn't pick up on any verbal cues, intended or not.

Millie rolled her eyes. _This is stupid, _she thought, but Anna could tell from her body language exactly what she was thinking.

_Stop that, and try! _ Anna frowned, squinting in frustration. She couldn't hold her breath as long as her twin, and she was feeling a little lightheaded.

_Ok, _Millie gestured with her shoulders as if to say, _I'm trying and it's not working out, is it?_

_I can hear you! _Anna smiled, drawing out her last gulp of air as long as possible. _But, maybe this is just my imagination. If you can hear me, shake your head from side to side!_

Millie's eyes contracted suspiciously, and she slowly began to shake her head.

Excited, but unable to hold her breath any longer, Anna frantically swam up to the surface. Once she broke the water, Anna opened her beak to breathe, but remembered that she had promised to be quiet. A sudden gasping from the other side of the habitat might distract them.

Breathing quietly yet as fast as she could manage, Anna was enthralled with watching Kowalski fight Skipper in a combat exercise. She knew he hadn't noticed her yet, and she allowed her mouth to twitch into a smile. He was so strong, and fast, and smart. She watched him slice through the air with his flippers, smiling in confidence as he kicked Skipper to the ground, settling his foot on his stomach and leaning on his knee.

"Nice work, Kowalski!" Skipper said, and Kowalski withdrew his knee and took a step back.

"Thank you, Skipper." He said, and then his head turned and noticed Anna watching him with a smile on her face. Feeling pleased that he had done extraordinarily well that round, he smiled back and winked at her as he settled back in line besides Private.

She smiled even larger, blushing a bit. Giving him an encouraging flippers-up, Anna disappeared back under the water with barely a ripple.

Kowalski's eyes closed half-way, a relaxed grin splaying across his face. _She is so ADORABLE! _ He thought, watching the black streak she was now disappear deeper under the surface.

And then Millie surfaced, gulping in as much air as her throat could hold. She made such a large amount of noise that Rico, who was fighting Skipper, turned and noticed her. Puffing up his chest, Rico determinedly coughed up a chainsaw and swung it towards Skipper.

"Whoa, whoa, Rico, you win!" Skipper ducked, and reached out to shake hands with him. "But next time, no chainsaw."

"Aww…uh huh." Rico said, as Millie raised her eyebrows and clapped for him. But that was when Anna gripped Millie's ankle and tugged, causing Millie to swim away in an annoyed manner.

_What do you need, Anna? _Millie thought, as her sister drug her down to the bottom of the pool.

_So you CAN hear me? Yes! My theory really did pay off! _Anna pulled out her clipboard, scribbling on it furiously.

Millie fidgeted. Why was she feeling so fluttery, and why could she not keep her mind off of Rico's demented grin? Only one person she could ask, Millie realized. _Hey Anna?_

_Yes, Millie? _

_I…I…Well, what does it feel like to be in love with Kowalski?_

Anna paused, glancing up at her twin. _Why do you ask?_

_Oh…just wondering. _Millie stared away, purposefully avoiding her sister's gaze.

Anna carefully phrased her next thoughts, marshalling together the most reasonably believable ways of describing how she felt about the scientist. _Well…it feels unmistakably, er, unmistakable. It feels wonderful, and it almost feels like flying, every time he looks at me._

Millie realized that was what the strange falling sensation was in her gut. _I guess I was asking why, really._

Anna looked a little flustered. _He is so…I don't know, amazing. Why do you want to know? _

Millie scratched her neck awkwardly, feeling embarrassed. _I think I'm in love with Rico._

And at that, Anna's pencil snapped and the other half floated up to the surface. She was frozen, and the only thing that moved about her was a steady stream of bubbles coming from her lips. And then an enormous smile stretched across her face like a rubber band. _Really? I knew you would someday! Oh, Millie! What are you going to do about it?_

Millie's face contorted into a look of sheer confusion. _What do you mean, do about it?_

_ I mean you have to let him know! _Anna said mentally, allowing her remaining pencil half and clipboard float up to the surface.

_This coming from the girl who allowed her love for Kowalski to sit for a year before he made the first move. _Millie smiled, crossing her arms. _Besides, I was hoping you could give me any insight on how to crush those feelings?_

_ C-crush them? What? _Anna's voice floated into Millie's thoughts like a bubble, popping quickly and loudly. _I don't think that's possible!_

_ I can't allow my tough shell to be infiltrated by some guy, _Millie thought, as Anna motioned regrettably at her throat and popped up to the surface for some air.

Millie chased her twin.

Anna was so worked up from what Millie had said, she forgot the no-noise rule. She broke the surface panting, and when Millie joined her, Anna began to rant.

"What do you mean, crush them?" Anna asked, since talking was more natural than their recently re-discovered talent.

"I mean, I don't want to allow them to control me." Millie surfaced with a splash, her voice grating on the ears of the training men besides them.

"They don't have to; they're perfectly natural." Anna said, swimming closer to her sister. "Why do you have to be so thick-headed?"

All the men were frozen, staring at the head-to-head sisters. They had never seen the twins fight for real before, and it was obvious that they were both really worked up.

"What? Thick-headed? I'm keeping myself single, thank you. Sorry if I don't fling myself around to whatever idiot wants me." Millie said sharply, watching Anna's face fall.

"I didn't fling myself around! It took me a year, you said so yourself!" Anna spluttered, her cheeks burning scarlet. "Besides that fact, Kowalski is my first ever boyfriend, and you know it."

Kowalski grinned at this. He hadn't known that. _The first love is always the best, _he reminded himself, feeling smug.

"Yea, whatever." Millie retorted, feeling satisfaction in her sister's frustration. "Like I believe that you two are 'in love'. More like, 'neither of us can get anyone else to love us, so we'll just date anyway'."

Anna was glaring at her sister so sharply that the male penguins were all surprised that she wasn't lighting Millie's hair on fire with her eyes. They had seen Millie this angry, true, but not at Anna. And Anna being mad like this was like seeing the sky fall.

"Of course that's what you would think, what with you never having matured mentally past the age of five." Anna said, "Grow up, Jennifer. Love is a normal, natural thing. Not some imaginary enemy."

Millie blanched. "You. Called. Me. Jennifer."

"Yes, I did, didn't I? Ooops." Anna said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "F.Y.I., Millie, you aren't a boy."

"Well, at least I don't need one to feel complete." Millie said, turning her back on her sister. "But it's not like you have a real man, anyway."

"Hey!" Kowalski said, "I'm right here."

"Shut up, poindexter." Millie said, swimming away.

"Don't call him that, Jennifer!" Anna yelled at her retreating figure.

"Blah blah blah…" Millie mocked her, smiling maliciously.

As the men watched, Millie swam off beneath the surface. Then they turned their heads to Anna, who was fuming at her twin's back.

Mumbling incoherent phrases, Anna swam away in the opposite direction as quickly as she could, eventually diving underwater.

A stunned pause followed.

"…What the heck just happened with them?" Skipper asked, still staring at the patch of blue liquid where they had been a few seconds before.

"I didn't know that Jennifer was Millie's name," Private mumbled, but no one was really paying attention to his comment.

"I don't know, but I've never seen Anna so angry before," Kowalski remarked, trying to spot his girlfriend on the bottom of the pool. "I was wondering if I could…?"

"Fine, Kowalski. Go see what's up." Skipper pouted a bit, feeling like his team was getting more and more unruly with each passing day. The only reason he was allowing Kowalski to leave after Anna was because he was curious what had gone down between the siblings.

Kowalski smiled, waddled over to the edge, and dove in after the blur of his Anna. She was streaking back and forth in the corner, shaking her head and glaring at the ground.

He swam up slowly, watching her curiously, before reaching out and touching her shoulder.

Anna reacted furiously, jumping back and frowning. But then she noticed who it was, and she dropped her angry gaze, her shoulders sagging.

Kowalski put on a confused face, seeking her eyes to get her to understand what he was trying to ask.

Anna shook her head, rolling her eyes, obviously making faces at Millie. She seemed so upset that Kowalski put both flippers on her shoulders, bringing her face up to his.

A serious question. Was she ok?

Anna nodded, but with a look on her face that said otherwise. Realizing that she was probably just feeling bad about fighting with her twin already, (Anna was one of those immediate apologizers) Kowalski smiled a tiny bit. It was his way of telling her that it was ok to get upset sometimes.

A brief hug, and a grateful look from Anna made Kowalski regrettably point at the surface. 'Skipper' he mouthed, shaping around the water trying to gush down his throat.

Anna nodded, like she understood, and motioned for him to go on up with her head. She was still smiling a little, with pinprick tears hiding in her eyes under water, as he left for the top.

With a splash, Kowalski surfaced up on the grey rock. "I didn't find out what happened, but whatever it was…" he looked surprised, "It sure has Anna worked up."

"Hmm…well, I suppose we should keep an eye on those two over the next few days." Skipper said, stroking his chin.

"But what if they hate each other now?" Private asked, his voice implying horror.

"Oh, young Private, I'm sure they'll be fine." Skipper said, "I mean, this is the first time in three years that they've ever fought over anything serious. I'm sure it'll blow over soon."


	2. Chapter 2

But it didn't blow over soon. Millie wouldn't talk to Anna, and Anna wouldn't talk to Millie, for two whole days.

It was extremely awkward for the guys, who weren't sure what to do about it. On one hand, Millie had obviously said something that set Anna off. But on the other hand, Anna wasn't helping the situation by not communicating with her twin. So they mostly tried to stay out of it. Even Kowalski only comforted Anna occasionally, not wanting to seem like he was prying.

But on the second day, they sensed a change in Anna. She was tired looking, run down. She sighed loudly that morning, watching Millie swim outside the window of the habitat.

With a determined gait, Anna left the H.Q., and dove into the water.

Sensing a climax, all the other penguins ran up to the windows to watch what happened.

At first, nothing. And then Anna jetted across the scene, coming to a hover when she almost ran into Millie, who turned up her nose, and put her hands on her hips.

Anna twiddled her flippers, and looked down, but it was obvious she was saying something somehow, because her eyes were moving like someone's eyes do when they're talking.

And then Millie shook her head, rolled her eyes, and looked away. This obviously offended Anna, because she ducked her head so that her sister could see her face.

Imagine watching two girls fight without talking (so just watching the body language). This is what the team saw when they watched Anna and Millie begin to rehash the fight from two days before.

Suddenly, Anna had such a wounded look on her face that Kowalski gasped. She was so upset she had forgotten to put on a mask before letting the comment register. Her flippers stop gesturing, and she started sinking slowly. Her eyes reflected such a deep level of hurt that they could almost see her heart breaking.

Instantly, Millie reached for her sister's flipper, trying to apologize. She looked like she was shocked that she had said something so rude/hurtful, and was obviously trying to get her twin to realize that she didn't mean it.

But Anna pulled her flipper away, swimming away so quickly that they could barely see her as anything more than a black line, scarring the water as she raced away.

Millie sat there, suspended, looking apologetic for another few seconds, before she started slowly going up for some air. She looked hurt too, but in a different way.

"What is going on around here?" Skipper asked nobody in particular, but being the intellectual, Kowalski felt obligated to answer.

"I wish I knew, Skipper." He started heading out to find Anna, but suddenly she was in the H.Q., tears crawling down her face.

Without saying a word to anyone, Anna walked over to her bunk, and stuffed her face in her pillow. She didn't make a single sound, but her head didn't leave that spot for almost an hour as Millie dove around outside.

"Ok, I don't think I can stand this anymore!" Skipper said the next morning, when Anna was discovered to be burying her head in her pillow for the second day in a row, without offering an explanation. Millie simply didn't answer anyone's questions with anything but a glare, and she didn't stay in the same room as Anna for more than a few passing seconds.

"You're telling me," Kowalski said, securely shutting the lab door, where all the males were hiding to talk where the emotional girls wouldn't hear. "I just wish I knew what to do."

"Maybe Marlene might?" Private asked, sounding hopeful, glancing from face to face. "She's a female."

"Thanks for your astute observation, Private," Skipper said sarcastically, "But I don't want to bring another female into this equation. Too emotional." He paced a bit, pointing in front of him as he did so. "Maybe if we tried to get one of them to tell us?"

Kowalski suddenly looked uncomfortable, shifting from one leg to the other, staring at the concrete floor. "Don't look at me. I don't want to have to make Anna tell me, and then betray her to disclose the information to you."

Skipper frowned harder. "Could we bring them together into the same room, and perhaps force one of them to speak to get to the other?"

"You mean, back them into a psychological corner?" Kowalski asked, thinking the idea over seriously, glad he didn't have to betray Anna's trust for his team. "It might work."

"Alright, then. Operation: Cat Fight is a go! Here's what I want you to do…"

"Are you sure you want my help?" Anna asked skeptically, trying to keep from tearing up as Kowalski lead her to the lab. "I'm pretty clumsy with glass vials."

"I'm sure you'll be fine…with the glass vials…Anna," he said, stumbling over his pre-planned lie, not looking at her. It was so hard to lie to her. _It's for her good, _he told himself. "So, just step on in this room…" he gestured like he wanted her to go in the lab, but he seemed forced. Like he was acting.

_Something's up, _Anna decided, scanning the room as she stepped inside. _Nothing seems unusual, at least not so far… _

But then Rico led Millie in from the fishbowl, grumbling to her incoherently to the average listener. Millie seemed as wary as Anna had been.

_Evidently, with good reason. _Anna stiffened. "I don't think I can help you with your project right now, Kowalski." She tried to leave the room, but he gripped her wrist.

"Please, Anna," Kowalski said, "You two need to talk."

Millie stopped walking. "Oh, it's you." She said, starting to back away, but suddenly Rico scooped her up and tossed her in the lab with Anna, and both Kowalski and Rico slammed the laboratory door and locked it from the outside.

"H-hey!" Millie was up off of the floor in seconds, banging on the door. "Let us out!"

Anna simply barricaded herself in the corner, sounding like she was about to either yell or break down crying. "You say 'us' like there is an 'us' anymore."

Of course, with Skipper being Skipper, they had installed a security monitoring system in the lab that all of the men were watching and listening to on the TV in the main room.

Millie stiffened, and turned. "Oh, that's right. I would say something rude, but I'm not talking to you."

"Fine with me," Anna said, crossing her arms and staring at the wall. "I know what the guys are doing. They're trapping us in here in the hopes that we'll crack and become friends again, but I'll stay in here as long as it takes."

"Me too." Millie said, leaning against the cold metal of the door. "But you act like you know everything."

"No, I don't." Anna said, apparently forgetting the fact that she wasn't talking to her twin.

"Then why did you assume you knew what the guys are doing?" Millie asked, trying to pick a fight. She often did so when she needed to let off of some of her anger.

"I don't assume anything," Anna said, facing her sister. "I know what they're doing."

"There you go again." Millie sighed, feigning boredom. She slammed her head repeatedly into the back of the solid steel door, as if trying to kill herself before listening to another minute of Anna's jargon.

"There I go again? Why do you…what are you…just stop it!" Anna cracked, yelling over the empty room. "Stop trying to make me get mad at you!"

"Apparently I'm not trying anything, Anna," Millie said, allowing a look of satisfaction to cross her features. If you knew how, irritating Anna only took a well-placed jab and a snarky comment or two on a touchy subject.

Anna glared at her twin. "You think you're so tough, Jennifer, but let me tell you this: I know five other penguins that could rip all of your limbs off if we wanted to."

"Meaning?" Millie smirked dangerously.

"Meaning that you aren't the only one who can fight around here, so you can stop acting like it, because I'm pretty sure we're all sick of it." Anna said, standing.

"Who's the fifth penguin, Anna? Because the last time I checked, you were too terminal to even learn the basics."

Rico whistled in the main room, as if awaiting the next words, and Kowalski glared at him. Skipper stepped inconspicuously between the two of them, just in case. His men were like brothers, but with love in equation…anything could become a serious argument.

"I know how to fight, Millie." Anna said, sounding sufficiently calmed, somehow.

"Yea, right. Prove it." Millie said, settling into a fighting stance. Her eyes in slits, she crouched for her sister to see that she meant what she said.

"Should we stop this?" Kowalski asked worriedly, not thinking that Anna could fight either. "Getting physical isn't that great of a way to settle a fight."

"Oh, they'll be fine." Skipper dismissed. He wasn't worried; Millie and Anna were twin sisters, after all. They loved each other, no matter how much they fought. I mean, surely?

Anna's brow creased, and she also settled into a rough tae kwon doe stance, opposite her twin. "Alright, then," she said, her voice back in its normal tone. "I will."

Millie smiled with the thrill of the challenge, or lack thereof. "Bring it on."

Kowalski bit his lip nervously, and Rico leaned in closer to the screen.

Anna waited for Millie to come at her, and she managed to block the first two moves. But then she allowed herself to become distracted by Millie's banter and the third hit struck her in the leg. Trying to block her next shot, Anna left her stomach unprotected and Millie kicked her.

Anna fell flat on her back. "Ow." She said, sounding dazed.

Millie looked triumphant for about half a second, and then she shook her head rapidly. "Anna!" she called, sounding upset, as if realizing what she had done. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine…" Anna said, sitting up holding her head.

"I thought you said you knew how to fight!" Millie said, now sounding deceived.

"Well…I always beat the punch bag back home…" Anna joked weakly, smiling faintly as Millie helped her stand up.

Suddenly, both of them looked uncomfortable again.

"I forgot I wasn't talking to you," Millie said, letting go of Anna's hand and turning away.

"Oh…right…" Anna sounded disappointed, but stoic. "I did…too…"

And then they both sighed, and started talking at the same time. "Look, I have something I need to say. You go first. No, you."

In the main room, the male penguins high-fived triumphantly.

Millie put her flipper over Anna's mouth. "Look, I'm sorry for what I said. I shouldn't have overreacted like that. You were just trying to help."

Anna smiled, and pulled her hand off of her mouth. "And I shouldn't have let myself get so wrapped up in what I thought you were trying to do. I just tried to imagine me letting go of what Kowalski and I have, and I didn't want you to make that possible mistake. I'm sorry; it is your decision. You were just trying to remain the stoic protector."

"And you were just trying to help me out, so really, we were both just doing out jobs as sisters." Millie said, "We just got a little carried away."

Anna chuckled, and glanced around the locked laboratory. "A little…?"

Millie laughed outright, and then they both hugged.

"I'm sorry," they both whispered, at the identical moment.

"Darn twin-talk," Millie grumbled, and Anna giggled as they pulled away.

The door to the lab swung open, and Skipper and the boys were standing in the doorway. "So…are you two…?"

Millie and Anna smiled.

"Of course," Anna said, "We are sisters, after all."

"Yea…but the next time you guys trap us in a locked room, well…" Millie said threateningly, pushing past all of the penguins on her way out the door. "I'm going swimming, wanna come?"

"Maybe in a minute," Anna called, as Millie left. "After I talk to Kowalski about his 'experiment he needed help with'."

Kowalski's eyes got larger and he looked at the ground, shuffling his feet. "I'm sorry, Anna…I was just tryin-"

But Anna was laughing. "I was just kidding, Kowalski."

"Oh…right…" Kowalski said, feeling stupid. But Anna simply breezed past him, and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered, beaming at him.

Kowalski froze up, like always. "Y-you're welcome, A-Anna,"

But she was out the door before he could turn around to gather his thoughts, which always seemed to desert him whenever Anna kissed him.

Skipper slapped his options guy on the back. "Come on, Kowalski. Pick up what's left of your wits, because it's time for the midday training session."

Kowalski could still hardly think. "O-ok…Oh, wait a second!"

"Come on, Kowalski." Skipper repeated, leading the rest of his team outside.

But Rico seemed reluctant to train when they reached the roof of the H.Q. He kept glancing at Millie, and moaning a little.

"Rico, look sharp!" Skipper corrected his form in the traditional fighting stance.

"Ugh…" Rico sighed, watching Millie swimming around in the water, splashing Anna with her flippers. She was so…wild. So rogue. He couldn't figure her out for the life of him, yet he was inexplicably drawn to her.

"Rico?" Skipper followed his weapons experts eyes, and instantly the last few days clicked into place in the leaders mind. Rico wasn't just being distracted, he was under the ultimate distraction.

_Oh NO…not RICO too…_Skipper groaned inwardly, but he had almost seen it coming. "Look, Rico…" Skipper was suddenly aware of the fact that Kowalski and Private were watching their exchange. "Exercise postponed," he said, watching Kowalski dive in the water after Anna, and Private stumble on in as well.

"Look, Rico…" Skipper started again. "I can't help but notice you seem to be, well, distracted by Millie. Do you…do you have feelings for her?"

"Yepper-doodle." Rico affirmed, watching Millie over Skipper's shoulder. She shot through the waves like a torpedo, leaving a destructive wake behind her…grinning madly as she dove in and out of the water, like a breaching whale, but much more graceful…

Skipper sighed. "Then…why don't you go talk to her?"

Rico looked surprised. "Me?"

"Yes, you! Go get her, soldier, and that's an order!" Skipper encouraged, gesturing at the water.

"Ok." Rico said, diving down after Millie.

Skipper placed his hands on his hips. _I liked it better when my men thought that females had cooties, but I suppose we all have to grow up someday. _

Rico swam right in front of Millie, trying to get her to stop swimming so he could talk to her. But unfortunately for him, Millie was used to playing rough-and-tumble games and thought he was barricading her.

Smiling impishly, she dove around him every time he tried to stop her, causing poor Rico to become frustrated.

Rico shook his head, and yelled after her. "Millie!"

She turned slowly, swimming back to the weapons expert. "Yea, Rico? What?"

He pinched his flippers together in front of his chest, seeming nervous. "I…I ahg ugh hhdg?"

Millie, being as fluent in Rico-speak as everyone else after three years, stopped moving. "…What did you say?"

Rico turned away. "Never mine," he said, starting to swim off.

But Millie stopped him again. "No, no, I mean, what did you say? I'm not mad, I was just…making sure I heard correctly."

Rico started smiling psychotically, and regurgitated some flowers. "Here." He said, handing them to her.

Millie took them, looking slightly abashed. "Well…thank you, Rico."

He seemed pleased with himself. "Pfft, was nothin."

She laughed, and swam over and kissed him on the cheek like Anna had kissed Kowalski only a few minutes before. Feeling embarrassed, Millie dove under water to re-set up her tough girl exterior.

Across the pond, Anna was smiling at her sister's exchange with Rico. "Look, Kowalski," Anna said quietly, sounding like she was about to tear up. "I can't believe she's finally opening her eyes."

Kowalski followed Anna's gaze line, and looked down at the half-smiling face of his girlfriend. "You do realize that…you're younger, right?"

Anna's eyes settled, and she put on her fake irritated voice. "Yes, funnily enough, I am aware of that fact."

Kowalski chuckled, wrapping his flipper around Anna's shoulder. "Just checking," he said, "Actually, I was just joking."

Now it was Anna's turn to laugh. "That was so funny! You got so nervous. Like I would be angry at you for something like that."

"I didn't think you would, but I failed to see the humor in your comment until you pointed it out." Kowalski said, as they both watched Millie dive under water with the flowers. "You know, I've never been too good with humor."

"I know," Anna said, starting to swim a slow lap around the pool. "I've never been either, really."

Kowalski followed after her, unable to think of something to say again. She was so graceful, and beautiful, and amazing…she just took his breath away.

That was exactly how Rico felt. He was still trying to recover from Millie's final comment, realizing that his gooey love-mush sensitivity wasn't acting up for the first time in his life.

Millie re-surfaced, looking at him curiously. "You're still up here? Come on, let's go swimming!" she said, pulling his flipper as she tried to make him dive.

Rico objected for a few seconds, and then he dove down, following her to the bottom of the pool. She was swimming around in the sparkling sunlight lines, stopping them before they could reach the bottom. Her head feathers were floating away from her face, her huge green eyes blinking at his blue.

_Wow, _Rico thought, allowing himself a small smile. Millie did a noiseless laugh at the look on his face, suddenly going so fast Rico could barely see her.

_Tag, _he realized. _She is playing tag. _Grinning, he chased after her, the two of them swimming in elaborate shapes beneath the surface of the water.

_Anna was right, _Millie thought gleefully, dodging Rico. _ How could I ever let go of this feeling?_


End file.
